Heavens to Betsy and X hands 'round!

[Kathy Panton]

>From:    "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
>
>Why is the interjection sometimes augmented with "X hands round" as if it
>were a dance call? Is/was there really such a call?
>
>
>
Doug,

"X hands round" is definitely used in Scottish Country Dance calling
(and perhaps in Irish, English, and contra dancing as well). An "X hands
round" call means that a set of dancers forms a circle, with hands
joined, and does a sort of sideways slipstep move in one direction, and
then usually back again after a few bars. (Yikes; I can't remember
whether the default starting direction is clockwise or
counterclockwise!) "4 hands round" is 2 dancers; "6 hands round" is 3
dancers; and so on.

Why "X hands round" would be appended to "Heavens to Betsy", I haven't a
clue. Scottish Country Dancing has been common in the U.S. since well
before the Korean War.

Kathy


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Kathy Panton                        Cycorp
panton at cyc.com                512-342-4009
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